Despite overwhelming evidence that governments do badly when they try to remove the freedom from free enterprise, Wynne and McGuinty ploughed ahead with their green energy vision
Kelly McParland
July 19, 2017
10:05 AM EDT
When former premier Dalton McGuinty visited the new Siemens Canada plant in Tillsonburg in 2011, he brushed aside protesters and boasted that the plant was part of the Liberal alternative energy plan that would “put us at the forefront in North America.”
The plant made windmill blades. Windmills were the future. Clean energy was what McGuinty’s two-year-old Green Energy Act was all about. It would free the province of old, dirty manufacturing and introduce new, cutting-edge jobs that would make Ontario the envy of the world.
Just six years later the plant is closing. Management says big changes in the wind industry make it no longer viable. The cutting edge plant that was to help lead Ontario into the Valhalla of a clean energy future can’t survive in a market that wants bigger blades.
McGuinty has long since faded into retirement. He chose to step down rather than endure further questioning about an earlier energy fiasco. There was no sign of his successor, Kathleen Wynne, outside the factory, Tuesday, as newly-jobless workers sought an explanation for the closure. “There was quite a bit of anger in there because they shut the place down the other night and never really told anybody about it,” one complained to The London Free Press. “It was bang, everything was locked down.”
Nathan Denette/ The Canadian Press
Wynne has been busy attending a meeting of the National Governors Association in the U.S., arguing against radical changes to the NAFTA free trade accord. NAFTA is critical to Ontario, particularly given the flow of manufacturing plants leaving the province over high costs, increasing regulation and expensive electricity. At the same time that the Liberals announced a subsidized cut in power prices, they introduced a carbon tax that negates the savings and adds to the difficulties of small industries trying to keep afloat. Wynne also plans to impose a $15 minimum wage on employers, as well as a package of new labour laws, despite predictions companies will be forced to cut staff to absorb the higher costs.
Does anyone remember the last time anything positive emerged from Ontario’s electricity industry, battered and bruised from 13 years of Liberal government manhandling? Hydro rates so punitive the Liberals have applied layer on layer of subsidies, borrowing the money or pushing debt onto future generations to do so. An estimated $45 billion extra in future costs so the government can reduce consumer bills now, as it campaigns for re-election. Billions lost selling power at a loss to the U.S., which will now be made easier by approval of a power line under Lake Erie.
The result of the Liberals’ green energy vision has been a catalogue of disasters
Wynne’s government has been steadily retreating from a green energy deal with Samsung, even while proclaiming its continued devotion to McGuinty’s green vision. In 2013, it cut its planned purchase of electricity from Samsung projects by $3.7 billion, more than a third of the original agreement. In return, Samsung cut its planned investment by $2 billion.
In September, the Liberals ended plans for any new projects, admitting the power wasn’t needed. They had little choice after a report by the Independent Electricity System Operator indicated the province had enough power to last a decade. Characteristically, Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault hailed it as evidence of the government’s fiscal prudence, rather than proof of a colossal failure. “By putting our finger on the pause button it allows me to save $3.8 billion for ratepayers, and that’s pretty significant in terms of helping ratepayers right across the province,” he proclaimed.
Siemens Wind Power chief executive David Hickey was careful not to blame the Liberal change in plans for the Tillsonburg closing, but plenty of others were happy to. Companies like Siemens come for the subsidies, and when the subsidies disappear, so do they, said independent industry analyst Tom Adams. Ontario has poured so much into its green energy dream the market is saturated, he said. Hickey said the market is shifting west: Alberta and Saskatchewan are “the key opportunities of the future.”
Full Story at The National Post
More articles about this.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/siemens-to-close-ontario-wind-turbine-blade-plant-340-jobs-to-be-lost/article35716643
https://www.thestar.com/business/2017/07/18/hundreds-of-jobs-lost-as-siemens-closes-turbine-plant-in-tillsonburg-ont.html
http://business.financialpost.com/commodities/energy/hundreds-of-jobs-lost-as-siemens-closes-turbine-plant-in-tillsonburg-ont/wcm/078e030b-cac9-4fda-b8d3-c3ae50840e14
And a related article from the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers:
HT/Colin Peterson, Sun Spot, and Phillip J Sullivan
Well of course companies, free enterprise, comes when there are subsidies on offer – what else would one expect?. Why create the subsidy? The corrolary whereby they go when subsidies are removed is also logical. So again, why create the subsidy? So often governments these days are short term thinkers- why? Because they are attracted by the subsidy ( voters) and unless short term pandering is pursued the subsidy is removed.
Yeah, we should take all subsides away from energy produces across the board including the huge subsides paid to the coal industry and see who survives.
What subsidies are paid to the coal industry over and above those given to any mineral extractor including gold mines?
Steve, words,just words. You have to make your case here with evidence to support your left field claim.
Steve: Should we really? I’m for it, how long have you been in favor of taking down “all” energy subsidies? Maybe you can link us to your posts where you’ve proposed this?
“What subsidies are paid to the coal industry”
The ones the left make up.
If you read the small print, it usually says something like ‘a billion trillion gazillion dollars of subsidies because Global Warming’.
These types of people don’t understand the difference between a tax write off and a subsidy. The media-government establishment has effectively twisted the meaning of words as they see fit.
Here we go again! ‘Steve’ is getting into all the threads on WUWT with the most ridiculous green claims – and everyone piles in and the thread gets disrupted. He’s achieved his end. The guy is an agent provocateur – or just extremely thick. Perhaps we might just cotton on to the fact that he serves no purpose on this blog and contributes no intelligence. Personally, from here on in I shall just skip his stupid comments and despair of the ones that try to take him on (and I was one of them once): there is no answer for stupid like his.
Indeed. And coal is the most likely to survive.
I don’t know about coal subsidies specifically, but in terms of fossil fuel subsidies, which would include coal, Canada currently subsidized the fossil fuel industry to the tune of 3.3 billion a year.
Subsidies are, and always have been, specifically meant to spur adoption of new technology, develop new industry and create new market opportunities. In this respect, they have achieved these goals for the renewable energy industry in Ontario.
That being said. It is now time to phase them out. However, since we are still subsidizing a fossil fuel industry that has by all means matured 30 years ago… by 3.3 Billion annually, one has to wonder why the heck we are still subsiding them while crapping all over the renewable energy industry who actually employs more than twice as many workers in Canada, represents a larger share of investment, and has greater economic gains in terms of amount of dollars invested staying withing our communities than any fossil fuel technology by any comparison… Yes, the renewable subsidies should be phased out now, but by god it could be worse… it could look like our fossil fuel industry!
Here is the numbers on subsidies, you can also do a quick google search for those who are still skeptical and there is plenty of information about fossil fuel subsidies to be found there.
http://www.corporateknights.com/?sponsors_post=time-phase-canadas-fossil-fuel-subsidies
The link you give ends up with a article by a person from “Environmental Defense”, presumably the EDF, who never defines “subsidy”. Is that meaning not paying the (pulled out one’s a$$) Social Cost of Carbon, or ordinary accounting measures to write expenses off income?
There are no subsidies to the coal industry.
Is there any lie you aren’t desperate enough to repeat?
MarkG, in the minds of the left, any tax rate less than 100% is a subsidy.
Harry, perhaps we need to create a post of Troll Stomper. One person to refute the mental droppings of our various trolls, so that they can’t create troll storms. It could be done on a rotating basis to avoid wearing out any one individual.
stevey, your LIEberal stupidity is hanging out sonny girl!!!
Agree wholeheartedly. Also, dump the same amount of regulation on the “renewable” energy producers as the fossil fuel guys. For example… make the wind people pay a million dollar fine for each raptor they obliterate like the epa did to electricity people.
The only way renewalbes have a chance is to subsidize them wildly, while over-regulating hydro, coal, and natural gas.
Does this sort of thing anticipate what happens to Tesla when the subsidies go away (or California goes broke)?
No one in the world knows what the demand for EV’s looks like after government and OEM subsidies (car makers lose money with every EV they sell) are removed. But the evidence so far is that as subsidies are removed, sales collapse. My personal pick is that the CARB mandate will kill Tesla (the company, not the brand) – every other OE has to sell EV’s into California in order to sell their (profitable) gas powered cars. That will put the knife to prices – but Tesla has to make money just selling EV’s. A tricky few years for them coming up.
One can only hope.
Did you see Musk’s comments asking for the susbidy to be removed?
I told you not to smoke that stuff griff.
You cant handle reality. What hope have you for handling drugs?
@ Leo;
Apparently, not this time.
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4069065-elon-musk-begs-feds-please-end-teslas-tax-subsidy
Wonder why he would do that? Could it be Tesla is about to hit a 200,000 vehicle ceiling on that subsidy, while the competish has plenty of room to sell more ev’s? Would it change his mind if they raised his ceiling?
Musk asking the government to eliminate a subsidy that his company is no longer eligible for but his competitors are.
What a humanitarian.
I include in the very loose term “subsidies” such mandates as Zero Emission Vehicle requirements and other bureaucratic tools to make up for the economic downside of such products.
Believe it or not, but Ontario is in worse financial trouble than California. Factory closings lost jobs, electricity that’s not affordable, and fewer people who have electricity than what there used to be.
Candle stick maker may make a come back as a way to make a living.
As well as buggy whips and ox carts.
Ontario is in big trouble on Debt. The liberals have over doubled it in just 10 years.
http://officiallyscrewed.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Ontario-Debt.jpg
Well the liberals doubled our national debt here in just 8 years. As usual Canada exists in the shadow of the US.
Rob,
And sleds and sleighs. 🙂
Cheers
Roger
PS only need to deal with the horses farting then.
Duncan, that’s child’s play. Obama doubled the US’s debt in only 4 years.
Roger the Surf
Welcome to Waterloo, Mennonite and Amish Country. We have horse lanes on the roads and horse barns at the Home Depot, buggy sheds at the TSC and horse auctions at the St Jacobs Market. The odd thing is that tucked away in the farm barn one often finds a CNC plasma cutter and MIG welder cranking out parts for local industry.
It is remarkable what you can do with a horse.
MarkW says: ” Obama doubled the US’s debt in only 4 years”
…
On January 20, 2009, the USA’s debt stood at $10.6 trillion.
.
On January 20, 2017, the USA’s debt stood at $19.9 trillion.
..
MarkW is arithmetically challenged.
“Well the liberals doubled our national debt here in just 8 years.”
The liberals had help unfortunately: The Republican Congress. They voted in favor of every spending bill over the last eight years because they were afraid to oppose Obama and the MSM.
That is strange. I saw an ad some 50 years ago about how industrious Ontario was – give me a place to work and a place to grow, something like that – and now I wonder where all that went? Right out the door with the onset of liberal politics, I’d guess.
So there’s a ‘pause’ button. Who knew? So all this fluff from Obama: “This was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal”, was just somebody behind the scenes pushing the pause button.
Canadian provinces are the most indebted sub-national governments in the world – by a long way – and Ontario is the worst in Canada. Once the most prosperous part of Canada it’s now deemed a ‘have-not’ province. The cult-like pursuit of green energy is a significant reason why.
Combined with this is growing demand for larger turbines – with blades bigger than the Tillsonburg facility can physically handle, Mr. Hickey continued. “We can’t go any longer than 55 metres without significant investment,” he said, further noting the industry’s price pressures. The uncertain future of U.S. tax policy, he also said, has stifled U.S. exports.
Who would have thought of that in 2011? Certainly not the good Government of Ontario. They only waste taxpayer’s money, never their own.
liberals are notoriously bad about predicting the future……..
Predictions about the future are some of the hardest kind.
Any discussion of the uncertainties surrounding the AGW issue is non-existent in Ontario. As is (IMHO) with the rest of the civilized world. To question the “climate science consensus” on this issue is political suicide.
So What? Apparently our economy is performing quite well. However, I’m only 67, I no longer know what to believe.
I forgot to say, I find Trump’s position on this issue a breath of fresh air. I think he’s figuring things out. Putting new people ( Tillerson, Maddis, Cohn(?), Happer(?)…and family) into place that could only happen under his guidance.
I never expected Trump to win. To me he was like a feral dog chasing the car, only he “caught” the car. I’m totally impressed…only in America!
Just like Peabody, energy companies go belly up. Some companies can’t adapt to a changing world…
Nice try, RelativistSkeptical. I know oil companies fail, too, but they were not launched with the fanfare and pie-in-sky palaver (and subsidies) that green energy companies get. Like this one as the article states. Please give us a link to a presser promoting a non-green energy company launch in the last six (only six yrs for this green tech co. to “fail to adapt”!). Maybe then we’ll see whether your comparison has some validity.
Like those 50 solar PV companies in Japan ?
In just the first half of this year ?
See Jo Novas’ site ….
can’t adapt?….this is only 6 years….another perfect example of liberals rushing into something…they do not understand….with other people’s money
…because it just felt so good
Sorry I took so long to get back to you. It takes a while to get to the end of the list of bankrupt/failing green companies.
A little Birdie told me, Power Gen is not doing so well, too much over capacity, I’ve seen it. Siemens might be corralling the troops back to Germany. RS might just not be too far from the mark.
This week the turbine blade factory in Hull England shipped its first blade…
In a fast changing industry, there will be many changes, startups, fails…
2016 Dec 01 Griff, do keep up.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/dec/01/hull-siemens-factory-wind-turbine-blades
I prefer the turbine blade maker my daughter-in-law works for.
https://www.theengineer.co.uk/issues/june-2015-online/jewel-in-the-crown-rolls-royces-single-crystal-turbine-blade-casting-foundry/
Griff, the green energy business is not ‘fast changing’. Nothing has changed in 20 years: the business plan is locate the subsidy mechanism and tap into it,. If the source moves, the company moves. Where there is no subsidy available, create a media blitz demanding ‘action on climate’ until there is a subsidy mechanism in place. Even poor countries with millions of hungry and cold people are shamed into creating a subsidy mechanism do large international companies like Siemens and Samsung can reap their cash like an endless grain harvest. More like a ‘gain harvest’.
The fact that wind turbines have become larger and solar panels cheaper does not change the fundamentals: it is a subsidy farming enterprise that would never exist without two things:
– free money to do what is otherwise uneconomical, and
– backup power provided by conventional sources so the grid actually continues to operate.
Where a huge mistake has been made is the ‘green’ demand to close the conventional sources in the belief that it will make demand for their ‘green energy’ even stronger. Another error is to think that Elon Musk’s request to drop subsidies is anything other than a ploy to shut out competition. As his subsidies end, having gotten in early, why should he be in favour of subsidising his competition the way he was subsidised against gas powered cars?
The same thing will happen in the wind and solar energy industries as they mature. Those first in who get a foothold will try to starve out the competition by manipulating access to public subsidies. Expect all kinds of stories to emerge about why this is a ‘good idea’.
As the economy of Ontario collapses and power demand falls, those remaining will have to pony up even more per KHW to keep the system afloat and the lights on. The breathtaking gullibility of politicians knows no bounds. Green energy, unsubsidised, works: it is called Hydro power, and Ontario has lots of it flowing untapped, all the way to the oceans.
Difference is, Peabody has come out from under, thanks to Trump, and reality.
Did not Obama deliberately go after coal to bankrupt the industry and subsidize “green energy”. A little difference don’t you think, but any excuse in a storm.
I want to express my deepest gratitude for ‘future generations’, who have apparently agreed to work 100 hour work weeks to not only support their own lives, but to pay for all the stupidity and ponzi schemes of this generation. They sure are a swell bunch of people, aren’t they?
+1
I would not buy a used car from any member of the Ontario Liberal government. Past or present!
The people that you North Americans refer to as “Liberals” ( in Oz they are the centre-right party but we are not called the antipodes for nothing folks) are essentially moral narcissists. That is they use issues that conform to a gree-left orthodoxy as fig leaves or imperial robes as required to present a marketing image to the electorate.
Developing substantive, effective, implementable policy is just not their thing these days. It used to be I gather. I recall a quote from one of JFK’s advisors to the effect that if you have a policy that cannot be properly implemented then you are probably better off without a policy at all. Wanna try back to the future, leftards?
It’s hard to keep up with the names and leanings of all the world’s political parties and maybe even harder yet to explain them.
“Developing substantive, effective, implementable policy is just not their thing these days. ”
It never was. When the left gain power, they always screw things up, because their entire ideology is anti-reality. It’s true that the Old Left–before identity politics took over–wasn’t as bad as the New Left, but both are completely unable to develop policies that support a sustainable society. You simply cant build a stable society on organised theft and violence.
Liberal takes on a different meaning in North America/USA. For most of the rest of the world it’s center right with the Left explicitly calling themselves socialists (or some derivative like Labor).
In Australia we have 2 major political parties.
One conservative and one socialist.
Because of the massive amount of taxpayer money the climate change myth feeds on and the rich and powerful takes we now have 2 socialist parties.
The greediest capitalists are from the political left and they secretly despise the poor.
Slight correction to your vision of the Australian political scene. There 2 parties, so far correct, both are almost indistinguishable from the other, one is centrist slightly to the right and the other centrist slightly to the left. If you understand Menzies’s thoughts he started the Liberal party and decided he wanted it to be a progressive party not a conservative party. So I have no idea why you call it a conservative party, lack of historical knowledge on your behalf maybe?
So you have a choice between Conservative Progressives and Progressive Conservatives?
Howard built a huge treasury surplus which was quickly disappeared under the Labour government.
Lack of historical knowledge on your behalf?
Mmm Steve, given the amount of recent press in response to the fool Turnbull’s claims about Menzies not being conservative, I am surprised at your lack of awareness that Menzies was indeed a Conservative. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/battle-to-claim-the-menzies-legacy-a-shot-across-the-bow/news-story/130e813349d53ff538f053e0401a5b3d
“Curious George July 20, 2017 at 5:25 pm”
In terms of choice of parties here in Australia we have two. No choice and absolutely no choice. All of them are corrupt to the core.
Dumb and Dumber…only they seem wilfully so.
Subsidy for a business means that the most inefficient can compete with the efficient to the detriment of the consumer and those providing the subsidies (the tax-payer). Nationalisation is another route to inefficiency as we found in the UK in the 60’s and 70’s when Labour thought they could run railways, airlines, build quality cars and manage telecommunication companies. They could do none of those things; they were and still are, delusional about these abilities. Subsidy as a social benefit for those who have suffered a misfortune is totally different and any civilised society should accept that those less fortunate should receive help. Capitalism is, and should be unforgiving to those who take a risk and make a misjudgement, but it should also be equally rewarding to those who risk all. Subsidies to industry mean throwing out these dynamics. Losers become winners and those who are winners cannot compete. When you throw in senseless rules, laws and regulations, those businesses that should thrive don’t and those shouldn’t do.
Governments should not meddle with businesses, is the simple short answer.
well said
Very well said.
PS: Health Care is a business.
Mark, before I retired, I worked as a dentist in the UK, 99% of my work was for the NHS. The NHS is not run as a business, I used to think that was a good thing, not any more, the bureaucracy is horrendous. If the NHS was funded by subscription rather than by taxes it would fail against all the Private Health Care schemes. It is well passed its use by date, but no politician would dare touch it.
I can’t understand why Hydro One of Ontario bought Avista of Spokane. I get my electricity bills from Avista with my properties in Spokane. I left Ontario 52 years ago and only visited once since.
My guess is it’s a “two-four”. Part one is Avista has a lot of retirees and will need a cash cow. Part two is Hydro One (and the Ontario Government) is stupid.
When subsidies began, the talk was to get wind and solar industries off the ground, then every good thing would follow- green jobs, breakthrough in batteries, more green jobs, dogs and cats co-habit, more green jobs…ooh ooh and the planet is saved! (from humans). Some of our more enthusiastic tr0lls will be along to tell us the storage problem is solved juuuuust around the corner, hoping to deflect attention away from yet another signal of green failure arising from all that noise.
Ontario has some of the best unexploited hydro-electric sites in the developed world. But they decided 60 or so years ago that nuclear was the way to go and didn’t exploit them the way Quebec did. Quebec now has the cheapest electricity in N America.
No. Philip, Ontario built nuclear plants because all the really big hydro sites had already been used. What;s left are mostly smaller sites of less than 40 MW potential. If it wasn’t for the big hydro plants and the nukes, Ontario would be another South Australia. We should be grateful that McGuinty and Wynne have been silent on the nuclear issue. Our electricity is reliable, even if it is expensive. SA has expensive AND unreliable power.
OTOH Quebec has the south and west sides of the Labrador plateau, and profits from a big chunk of the east side by a clever deal made in 1967. Hydro-Québec buys power from the 5.4 MW Churchill Falls generating station in Newfoundland & Labrador at prices that are believed to be about 0.1¢ per kWh, and re-selling it to New England States at much higher prices in the 3-4¢ range. There is one estimate made in 2007 that this single deal accounts for 75% of Hydro-Québec’s profit.
I have read that Manitoba has lower retail electricity prices than any in North America, but, to be honest, that was in a Manitoba Hydro publicity blurb, and all utilities have such a range of retail prices that calculating an average is a bit on the subjective side (not unlike global average temperatures)
Also in today’s newspaper…
Hooray for green energy!
——————————–
It’s official: Toronto and Ottawa are now the most expensive cities for electricity
A large part of the blame rests on poor policy choices at Queen’s Park
http://business.financialpost.com/opinion/its-official-toronto-and-ottawa-are-now-the-most-expensive-cities-for-electricity/wcm/3e55c632-7668-4cb5-8c20-40410c9fd3c8
No business like coal business
Premier Wynne back in black
Here in Ontario (I live in Mississauga) the damage done from implementing “The Green Energy Act” is horrific, IMHO of course. I think the waste is approaching $100 billion and soon to go beyond. A fiscal boondoggle of irresponsible spending unmatched in Canadian history.
Shutting down coal, refurbishing old nukes, wind/solar parks with conventional back-up, excess “alternative” power continuously “donated” to the spot market and on top of all that…a carbon tax.….total $fiasco and no reason for it…our air quality was superb and before the coal plant closures (confirmed by Stats Canada).
By making gasoline and electricity more expensive these people think they can change the clouds, and they have the blessing from our educated, political and media elites…madness.
I feel you pain, I am in Scarborough, well said. How does it feel to be more in Dept per capita than California?
“Here in Ontario (I live in Mississauga) the damage done from implementing “The Green Energy Act” is horrific, In my humble opinion of course. I think the waste is approaching $100 billion and soon to go beyond. A fiscal boondoggle of irresponsible spending unmatched in Canadian history.”
There – fixed
Forest, it is called a carbon tax, Ontario just implemented one. Our electricity rates have over doubled in about 10 years, see graphic.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/carbon-pricing-pushes-gas-prices-higher-in-ontario-alberta-1.3224068
http://www.ontario-hydro.com/images/ontario-rpp-annual-increases.jpg
As the subsidy money disappears the climate cools . Funny how that works .
The once great province of Ontario has been slew footed by stupid politicians .
HydroOne, a solely Crown Ontario corporation until 2015, with a $5 billion dollar (CND) unfunded maintenance obligation which is scaring away private investors who can take up to 40% of the corporation, is currently raising rates further with its Time-Of-Use (TOU) pricing enforced by installing residential “smart” meters. Having spent years giving away electric power to its Southern neighbor, HydroOne plans further to build a conduit to the USA via a power transmission line under Lake Erie.
The problem lies with the intermittency of the wind blowing and the sun shining. Windmills and farm solar panels are at 41 to 45 degrees Latitude North resulting in wind speeds and their associated energy as variable. With many windmills positioned on the Eastern Shores and a bit inland of Lake Huron, the wind from the Northwest is the most consistent, that is, when it blows, except of course when it blows from the ESE and the wind energy density dramatically falls. Storms from the US Gulf Coast which blow from the WSW and the winds off the Arctic Tundra contribute to the wind energy for such turbines. Winds from the North, NE, East and Southeast contribute winds, not so much with regards to wind energy.
Hiding increased costs of electricity is the Time-Of-Use cost structure there are now 6 different pricing of On-Peak, Mid-Peak, Off-Peak Winter and Summer schedules such as ON-PeaK at 11 AM to 5 PM weekdays during summer and 7AM to 11AM and 5PM to 7PM during winters. Mid-Peak and OFF-Peak are equally circuitous. When you turn on your lights in the Winter at 6 PM you incur Peak rates and then transition to Off-Peak at 7PM. It will pay you to become a night-owl working from home otherwise one might go broke from your electric bill, that is, if you can keep track. “Kids, don’t do your homework after school, rather, go play out of doors in the dark until 7PM and spend a sleepless at your school work at night because the electricity rates are more favorable then.”
And for those: “Early to be and early to rise”, that’s just an olde wives tale.
“……Despite overwhelming evidence that governments do badly when they try to remove the freedom from free enterprise, Wynne and McGuinty ploughed ahead with their green energy vision…..”
So Wynne and McGuinty fancy themselves grand visionaries, eh? So did Adolph Hitler.
From the text of the article:
Immediately below that is a picture of Dalton McGuinty standing on a podium on which is written “Strong Action”. I suppose that closing the plant without warning could be called strong action.
The insane aspect for Canada, I read that it is the second coldest country in the world. One would think that an intelligent person would welcome some warming.
I lived in Ft McMurray , Alberta for one year sometimes working outside, and the cold is really brutal even with proper winter gear.
Wonder why so many Canadian folks relocate to the south of the US in the Winter?
Tough to fathom the government enslavement to CAGW.
Funny.
When I read the article this is the immediate thought that crossed my mind, and I was going to make a comment to that effect.
As you note, any sensible Canadian person would welcome climate change; Canada has a lot to gain by it, with no obvious downsides.
C4GW
Canadians for global warming
Actually you’re pretty much on the money. In the early 2000s, IPCC came to Ottawa to make a presentation to government officials about the results of AR3. No idea who the reps were, but they were very embarrassed when some of the domestic bureaucrats pointed out that the IPCC’s own modeling showed that Canada would benefit heavily if the warming scenarios were true. The growth in the Canadian habitable zone would swamp any theoretical losses elsewhere.
” The cutting edge plant that was to help lead Ontario into the Valhalla of a clean energy future can’t survive in a market that wants bigger blades.”
That’s free enterprise!
The government solution would be to mandate a limit on blade size.
Bigger blades means bigger subsidies.
And who said size doesn’t count! Pshaw!
https://www.thegwpf.com/tourists-shun-scotlands-regions-hit-by-wind-turbine-blight/
More chickens, seems that the tourists can;t see the wild for the windmills
To Doltan McGuinty (former Premier of Ontario): TOLD YOU SO, 15 YEARS AGO:
We confidently wrote in 2002:
“The ultimate agenda of pro-Kyoto advocates is to eliminate fossil fuels, but this would result in a catastrophic shortfall in global energy supply – THE WASTEFUL, INEFFICIENT ENERGY SOLUTIONS PROPOSED BY KYOTO ADVOCATES SIMPLY CANNOT REPLACE FOSSIL FUELS.”
Source: [PEGG, reprinted in edited form at their request by several other professional journals , THE GLOBE AND MAIL and la Presse in translation, by Baliunas, Patterson and MacRae].
http://www.apega.ca/members/publications/peggs/WEB11_02/kyoto_pt.htm
http://www.friendsofscience.org/assets/documents/KyotoAPEGA2002REV1.pdf
Justin Trudeau (Canada), Kathleen Wynn (Ontario), Rachel Notley (Alberta) and the new BC NDP – please take note. For your entire careers, you have taken policy advice from people who have been CONSISTENTLY WRONG on energy and the environment.
HOW COULD YOU GET IT SO WRONG, FOR SO LONG?
The harm you and your fellow-travelers have done to society cannot be undone. Globally, many trillions of dollars of scarce resources have been squandered, and millions of lives have been wasted by global warming nonsense.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2016/02/27/exxon-stands-up-to-the-green-bullies/comment-page-1/#comment-2154602
On Energy:
I have worked in the energy industry for much of my career.
When challenged on the global warming question by green fanatics, I explain that fossil fuels keep their families from freezing and starving to death.
Cheap abundant reliable energy is the lifeblood of society – it IS that simple.
Furthermore, I suggest that recognition of this reality is an ethical and a professional obligation.
The following numbers are from the 2015 BP Statistical Review of World Energy, for the year 2014:
http://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/pdf/energy-economics/statistical-review-2015/bp-statistical-review-of-world-energy-2015-primary-energy-section.pdf
Global Primary Energy Consumption by Fuel is
86% Fossil Fuel (Oil, Coal and Natural Gas),
4% Nuclear,
7% Hydro,
and 2% Renewables.
That 2% for Renewables is vastly exaggerated, and would be less than 1% if intermittent wind and solar power were not forced into the electrical grid ahead of cheaper and more reliable conventional power.
This is not news – we have known this energy reality for decades. As we published in 2002.
“The ultimate agenda of pro-Kyoto advocates is to eliminate fossil fuels, but this would result in a catastrophic shortfall in global energy supply – the wasteful, inefficient energy solutions proposed by Kyoto advocates simply cannot replace fossil fuels.”
On Grid-Connected Wind and Solar Power:
Wind Power is what warmists typically embrace – trillions of dollars have been squandered on worthless grid-connected wind power schemes that require life-of-project subsidies and drive up energy costs.
Some background on grid-connected wind power schemes:
The Capacity Factor of wind power is typically a bit over 20%, but that is NOT the relevant factor.
The real truth is told by the Substitution Capacity, which is dropping to as low as 4% in Germany – that is the amount of conventional generation that can be permanently retired when wind power is installed into the grid.
The E.ON Netz Wind Report 2005 is an informative document:
http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/wp-content/uploads/eonwindreport2005.pdf
(apparently no longer available from E.ON Netz website).
Figure 6 says Wind Power is too intermittent (and needs almost 100% spinning backup);
and
Figure 7 says it just gets worse and worse the more Wind Power you add to the grid (see Substitution Capacity dropping from 8% to 4%).
The same story applies to grid-connected Solar Power (both in the absence of a “Super-Battery”).
This was obvious to us decades ago.
Trillions of dollars have been squandered globally on green energy that is not green and produces little useful energy.
On Global Warming Alarmism:
We also write in the same 2002 article, prior to recognition that the current ~20 year “Pause” (actually a Plateau) was already underway:
“Climate science does not support the theory of catastrophic human-made global warming – the alleged warming crisis does not exist.”
I (we) now think global cooling will commence after the current El Nino runs its course, prior to 2020 and possibly as soon as 2017. Bundle up!
Regards to all, Allan
Another one down and another one gone and another one bites the dust…
There’s a difference between subsidies and permanent price supports that greens don’t seem to grasp. When a technology proves to be a dud, incapable of ever sustaining itself economically, the subsidies should dry up. Can’t say renewables weren’t given every chance and then some to succeed and we should all feel really good about that, but they just aren’t able to answer the bell. Pity.
Ontario Demand at 7:00 a.m. EST 15,773 MW
Market Demand at 7:00 a.m. EST 17,725 MW
Hourly Output by Fuel Type at 7:00 a.m. EST Nuclear 10,953 MW Hydro 3,809 MW Gas 1,049 MW Wind 192 MW Solar 26 MW Bio fuel 26 MW
Outrageous that wind installed capacity is 3,983 MW. First to the grid, at this hour wind is producing 192 MW.
Useless pieces of junk. My outrage and anger at what has been done to our beautiful countryside and winged creatures for some mad, insane ideology, is immeasurable.
It is pure sabotage aimed to destroy the economies of the West, our power infra structure, our educational system, health care, food production, financial system, you name it. It’s all planned policy: http://green-agenda.com
Tool up and make bigger blades; it is not rocket science.
Carbon fibre: the wonder material with a dirty secret
Carbon fibre is increasingly celebrated as a wonder material for the clean economy. Its unique combination of high strength and low weight has helped drive the wind power revolution and make planes more fuel efficient.Carbon fibre turbine blades can be longer and more rigid than traditional fibreglass models, making them more resilient at sea and more efficient in less breezy conditions.
Auto makers are also waking up to the material’s potential to make lighter and more efficient vehicles. McLaren recently announced plans to open a factory in Sheffield to manufacture carbon fibre sports cars, and BMW’s i3 is fitted with a carbon fibre passenger unit – the first such mass-produced car.
But carbon fibre has a dirty secret: the hi-tech material is wasteful to produce and difficult to recycle.
I liked the bit at the end of that article – “The good news is that carbon fibre products last a long time: the current generation of wind turbine blades and electric vehicles won’t be heading to the wrecking yard for at least another decade.”
I have two metal cars sitting out front right now – eleven and thirteen years old. Neither one is likely to head for the wrecking yard for at least another five years (presuming we continue to manage dodging the idiots in their plastic hamster cars…).
Not that most of those vehicles are going to be around for even ten years – virtue signaling wears out very quickly; they might last as long as five years before being disposed of for the latest symbol of piety. (Wealth signaling, on the other hand, seems to be very conservationist – I have seen many an “old money” person boasting that they still drive the Rolls-Royce that their grandparents bought.)
Yeah, I think I’ll keep my 2001 Escape going. Just need to take it to the shop for a tuneup. I would almost give my eyeteeth for my old 1970 Chevy Impala V-8.
Hydro One just bought a US electricity producer. When commenting on the deal the US company explained that it was beneficial to its customers, employees and pensioners. The “pensioners” part has me worried.
Fairy tales can come true. It can happen to you….
I’m just glad I live in the real world, not whatever sheltered closet these dimwitted nincompoops inhabit. I will never understand it, not at all.
It would do a world of good for some of these CEOs to read Sun Tzu. One of his major lessons is that anything you do that does not contribute directly to your objective is going to cost you.